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Google announced two new solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Japan, marking its first foray into the country’s renewable energy market. These agreements will add a combined 60 megawatts (MW) of new solar energy capacity to the Japanese grid and contribute to Google’s goal of achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) operations globally by 2030.
The PPAs involve partnerships with two Japanese companies: Itochu Corporation partner Clean Energy Connect and Shizen Energy.
- Clean Energy Connect will construct a network of roughly 800 small-scale solar plants across multiple grid regions in Japan. This innovative, distributed approach addresses the challenge of limited land availability for large-scale solar projects in the country and is expected to generate 40 MW of clean energy.
- Shizen Energy, a leading renewable energy company in Japan, will develop a 20 MW utility-scale solar project situated in the same power grid as Google’s recently opened data center in Inzai City, Chiba prefecture.
Through these agreements, Google will procure the renewable energy generated from these solar farms and the associated energy attribute certificates, significantly reducing the company’s carbon footprint in Japan.
Google’s investment is expected to reach nearly $690 million (nearly 100 billion yen) and signifies the company’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure development in Japan.
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“Signing these PPAs is just the beginning of our decarbonization journey in Japan,” said Shinji Okuyama, VP of Google Japan. “We aim to continue our efforts in the region by collaborating with local partners and exploring even more innovative solutions to accelerate the country’s clean energy transition.“